A Wilted Flower
by madeleine68
Summary: When investigating a case of child abuse, Olivia and Alex meet a child who's been damaged beyond repair. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

"Elliot!" called Olivia Benson, lifting the small child into her arms. "I've got him."

Elliot Stabler rushed over to her and let out a deep breath when he saw the limp, battered little boy in her arms. "Benjamin Cole, age six. Nobody's here, Liv. Who made the call?"

"Don't know. Maybe a neighbour heard the screaming. The dispatcher didn't say." She shifted the little boy in her arms and his shirt rode up his back. Olivia gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Elliot. Look."

Three dark bruises and a series of red welts covered the child's back.

Elliot saw the bruises. "Oh, my . . . I'll call the ambulance. This boy needs medical attention."

Olivia nodded and Elliot made the call. Then she raised her hand in the air. "El, Wait. Listen. Do you hear that?"

Sure enough, Elliot could hear the faint whimpering. He held out his arms and Olivia handed him the unconscious little boy.

Olivia followed the sound to a desk covered by a white tablecloth. She lifted it and started when she saw a little girl.

The girl had long red hair and looked to be about six or seven. She was huddled against the wall, knees to chest, sobbing softly.

"Hey," said Olivia, kneeling down so she was at eye level with the girl. "What are we hiding from?"

The girl looked up, displaying a healing black eye. She said nothing.

"What's your name?" asked Olivia gently.

"Rhea," whispered the girl.

"Hi, Rhea. I'm Detective Olivia Benson, but you can call me Olivia."

"Hi, Olivia," said Rhea softly.

"How old are you, Rhea?"

The child held up eight fingers.

"Well, Rhea, you know your brother got hurt, right?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Rhea shook her head.

"Okay," said Olivia gently. "What happened to your eye?"

The little girl looked at the ground. "It was an accident."

Olivia looked closer and noticed a bruise on Rhea's wrist. "What about your wrist?"

She said nothing.

"Was that an accident too?"

Rhea nodded reluctantly.

Olivia looked into her eyes. "Rhea, is there any way I could stop these accidents from happening?"

The child shrugged resignedly. "You can't stop accidents."

"Rhea, if someone was hurting you, you could always come to me and I would help you."

Rhea nodded slightly; a compromise.

Olivia changed the subject. "So where's your mom?"

The girl shrugged.

"What about your dad?"

"He died when I was a baby."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Then do you live with just your mom?"

Rhea twirled a strand of hair around her finger and hesitated. "No. My – my stepfather. Jordan."

"Oh. Do you like Jordan?"

She looked at the ground. "He's all right."

"Does he ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable?"

The child slowly shook her head.

"Liv." Elliot came up behind her. "The ambulance is here. Fin and Munch are staying. Let's ride."

"Come," said Olivia, holding out a hand to Rhea, who followed them into the ambulance.

* * *

"This poor little boy is probably the worst abuse case I've ever seen," the doctor commented to the detectives. "Look at this – welts, bruises, burns, fractures, the like. He has two fractured ribs, welts covering his arms and legs, various bruises, and a cigarette burn on his arm. Poor kid."

"Wow," said Olivia. "Did you manage to locate the parents?"

"No. Where's the girl?"

"Outside. She's waiting for us to come back."

The doctor nodded. "Bring her in. We should probably examine her too, just to be safe."

Olivia nodded. "I'll go get her."

* * *

"I don't want them to," said Rhea. "I'm fine, really."

Olivia bent down in front of the child. "Rhea, we found very disturbing injuries on your brother, and we're concerned about you, honey."

The little girl looked alarmed. "I don't want them examining me! I'm okay. I am."

"That's fine, Rhea. Then come with me."

Rhea sighed resignedly and took Olivia's hand. She let the detective lead her into the examining room."

* * *

"Detectives," said the doctor, motioning to Olivia and Elliot. "Can I talk to you for a moment, please?"

They looked at each other and walked over to the doctor. "Yes?"

He adjusted his glasses. "Her injuries, believe it or not, are worse than her brother's."

Olivia's stomach dropped. "How so?"

"I think you should come see for yourself."

The detectives followed the doctor into the examining room, where Rhea was crying. "Hey," said Olivia, bending down and taking Rhea's hand. "Heard you weren't feeling too good."

Olivia could see a line of cigarette burns up Rhea's arm – at least ten or eleven of them. She began to feel faint. She also noticed welts and bruises all over the little girl's small body.

The doctor motioned for the detectives to come close again. "We did a rape kit. I had a feeling . . ."

"What was the result?"

"Positive."

"So she was raped?" asked Elliot.

"Yes. Repeatedly."

"By who?"

The doctor motioned to Rhea. "Why don't you go ask her?"

Olivia approached the little girl's hospital bed again. "Wow, Rhea. That looks like it must hurt."

Rhea shook her head.

Olivia turned to the two men. "Would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?"

Elliot and the doctor nodded and exited.

Olivia turned back to the child. "So someone's been hurting you really badly, huh?"

Rhea nodded hesitantly.

"Was it your mother?"

Rhea nodded reluctantly again, silent tears streaming down her face. "And – and Jordan."

"Oh, Jordan."

"Yes. He would – he would come into my room. At night. And do things. Bad things." She burst into a round of fresh sobbing. "Oh, Olivia! He told me not to tell. He said he'd kill me. And Benjamin. My baby brother."

Olivia took Rhea's hands in her own. "What did they do to you, sweetheart?"

"Hit me."

"With what?"

"Sometimes with their hands. With an extension cord. With – with a belt. That was the worst."

Olivia sat silently, unmoving, her eyes locked on the little girl as she continued.

"They would push me around. They would throw me around. Into walls. Down the stairs. They would burn me. With their cigarettes. Whenever I was bad."

Olivia sighed. "Oh, Rhea. Nothing you could have done would ever, _ever_ give them the right to do to you what they did. They were wrong. You can't blame yourself for any of it."

She propped herself up on one elbow. "How's Benny?"

"Rhea, I need you to tell me what happened to him."

The girl burst into tears. "They were mad at me. And he got in the way. They were hitting him – over and over. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. They were so focused on him that I just ran. It's my fault all this happened. I could have protected him. I'm his big sister. It's my job. But I didn't. I ran and hid."

Olivia stroked her hand. "It's not your fault, Rhea. Don't you ever even think that."

Rhea sighed. "How is he?"

"He'll be fine, eventually. But they're keeping him in the hospital for at least a week."

She let out a deep breath. "Thank God."

"Rhea, do you know where your mother and stepfather are?"

She shook her head.

"Okay. We'll find them soon. Don't worry."

"What about me?"

"Right now, you're coming back to the station with us."

"Why?"

"We need to inform our ADA of your case and you might need to talk to her. But don't worry, sweetie, she's very nice. I'm going to speak frankly to you. We're going to press charges against your mother for abuse and your stepfather for rape."

Surprisingly, Rhea nodded. "Okay." She took Olivia's hand and they went out to Elliot's car.

* * *

When they got to the station, Olivia settled Rhea down in the front to do some colouring and called Elliot, Alexandra Cabot, and Don Cragen for a meeting. She explained the case to them.

Alex sighed. "I need to talk to that poor little girl, Olivia. Will she be okay with that?"

Olivia nodded. "She'll be fine. I'll send her into your office."

"Thank you."

* * *

Rhea uncertainly entered Alex's office a moment later and sat down on a chair next to the ADA.

"Hi, Rhea," said Alex. "My name's Alexandra Cabot and I'm the lawyer that's going to prosecute your parents. You can call me Alex."

"Hi," said Rhea softly.

"So, Rhea, how old are you?"

"Eight."

"Do you like school?"

Rhea nodded.

"You're in grade three?"

She shook her head. "No. Six."

"_Six_?"

"I skipped a few grades."

"Wow. What's your favourite subject?"

"English."

"What are you going to be when you grow up?"

"A writer. And a lawyer, like you."

Alex smiled. "Do you get along with your brother?"

Rhea nodded emphatically. "He's my best friend."

"Do you take care of him a lot?"

"He's my baby brother."

"So, yes?"

"Uh huh."

"We're here to help your brother, Rhea. And you."

"I know."

"So." Alex leaned back in her chair. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Rhea nodded. "They hit us. They burned us. They threw us, shoved us, punched us, kicked us. And Jordan . . . touched me. He came into my room. Every night."

She leaned toward the child. "He raped you?"

"Every night."

Alex felt as if she'd been kicked in the stomach. "Thank you for telling me this, Rhea. We're going to help you. They'll never hurt you again. I promise."

Rhea hesitated. "Alex? Can I show you something?"

"Of course."

Rhea slowly rolled up her sleeve, displaying the line of cigarette burns. Alex clapped her hands over her mouth and swallowed hard. "Thank you, Rhea," she managed. "Go back out to Olivia now, okay?"

The little girl nodded and left Alex alone to think things over.

* * *

"Alex?" called Olivia, knocking on the door. "I need you to come out here, please."

"Can you give me a minute? I need to calm down. That was pretty . . . upsetting."

Olivia opened the door. "What?"

"Rhea showed me those cigarette burns. That poor child."

"I know, but listen. We need you. Her mother's here, threatening to sue us, etc. She wants her daughter back."

"No!" Alex stood up abruptly, shaking in anger. "No way in hell is she getting that little girl back."

"Come."

Alex followed Olivia out to the front room, where Rhea was standing frozen in fear, silent tears coursing down her cheeks.

Olivia knelt down in front of the little girl and put her arms around her. "Shh, baby. No one's going to hurt you. You're staying with us. We'll protect you. I promise."

"I want my daughter!" snarled Rhea's mother.

"You're not getting her," replied Alex coolly.

"I'll sue you and the entire police department!" she screamed.

"Go right ahead," invited Alex. "I'm sure there will be time for that after your trial for child abuse."

"Abuse?"

Alex was getting upset now. "Stop pretending. I saw the burns on your daughter's arm and you're not coming anywhere near her. Olivia, take Rhea into the back room."

"Rhea's a liar," bit out her mother.

"Out," ordered Alex. "God help me, I will call security and have you escorted off the premises."

The woman turned and walked out the door. She turned on her way out. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer."

"I look forward to it."

Don Cragen turned to Alex. "I want you to call a judge and get a temporary restraining order for that woman to stay away from her daughter, at least until the trial."

"Done."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, let me get this straight." Judge Lena Petrovsky looked sharply at Alex. "You want to remove this eight-year-old girl from her mother's custody and a temporary restraining order."

Alex nodded. "Pending the verdict."

"Your Honor," protested the defense attorney, Roger Kressler. "This woman loves her daughter dearly, and her son is in critical condition in the hospital."

"Due to a beating delivered at her hands," interjected Alex.

Kressler shot her a sidelong glance. "Don't deny her of her other child as well. This woman is a battered wife. Her husband abused her ever since they married. Maybe she's made some mistakes – maybe she hasn't protected her daughter as well as she should have, but she's a great mother who loves that little girl."

"Not according to Rhea."

"Rhea is an eight-year-old girl. Eight-year-old girls lie."

"Not about abuse. And what about all these bruises then? Did she do them all to herself?"

Kressler shrugged calmly. "Maybe."

Alex stood up, her hands shaking, and shouted furiously, "Did you even talk to Rhea? Did you see her arm? Cigarette burns, at least ten. She says her mother did it."

"Counselors!" interrupted Judge Petrovsky. "Ms. Cabot, do not try your case here and now. Save that for the courtroom."

"Your Honor," said Alex weakly. "Please protect this little girl before it's too late."

The judge nodded and turned to Kressler. "Your client is to stay a minimum of a hundred yards away from her daughter, Rhea. If she comes any closer, she will be held in contempt of court." She turned to Alex. "She can stay in temporary foster care pending the verdict."

Alex nodded and bowed her head. "Thank you, Your Honor."


	3. Chapter 3

"The prosecution calls Rhea Jones," said Alex.

The little girl with the red hair plodded uncertainly to the witness stand. She looked uncomfortably at Alex, who gave her a comforting smile. "Hey, Rhea," she whispered. "Remember, just do it like we practiced. Don't look at your mom. Look at me or Olivia. You'll do fine. You're a brave girl."

Rhea nodded somberly, but she couldn't help but keep one eye on her mother.

Alex stepped back and started the routine questioning she always used to help child witnesses feel comfortable on the stand. "How old are you, Rhea?"

"Eight."

"What grade are you in?"

"Six. I skipped a few grades."

"Do you like school?"

"Yes."

"What's your favourite subject?"

"English."

"What's your teacher's name?"

"Ms. Bradley. She's nice."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Yes, a little brother. Benjamin."

"How old is he?"

"Six."

"Do you guys get along?"

Rhea nodded. "He's my best friend."

Alex smiled to put the child at ease. "That's good to hear. Are you aware that your brother got hurt?"

The girl hesitated. "Yes."

"Were you there?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me who hurt him?"

Rhea looked at the ground. "My mom. And Jordan."

"Is Jordan your stepfather?"

"Yes."

"Can you point your mother out?"

Rhea pointed to her mother with a shaking hand.

"Let the record reflect that the witness has identified the defendant, Rhonda Jones."

Alex stepped closer to Rhea. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Rhea wasn't listening, though. She was focused on her mother's hand, which was subtly making a sign that only Rhea could see. Alex could see that it was frightening the girl because she started to tremble.

"Rhea?"

The child continued to shiver, never taking her eyes off her mother.

"Your Honor," snapped Alex. "The defendant is making blatant attempts to intimidate the witness."

Judge Petrovsky nodded. "Mr. Kressler, control the defendant."

Rhea's eyes were still locked on her mother, so Alex stepped between them, blocking the child's view. "Rhea," she said, slowly and deliberately. "Can you tell me what happened to your brother?"

The child recounted the horrors her brother had gone through, so fast that the jurors stared at her, enraptured, not daring to take their eyes off the child.

Alex leaned toward Rhea. "Rhea, did your mother ever hurt you?"

Rhea paused. "Yes."

"What did she do to you?"

Rhea didn't answer. She was still staring uncomfortably at her mother.

"Rhea, did your mother ever hit you?"

Kressler was out of his seat in an instant. "Objection! Leading the witness."

Judge Petrovsky waved her hand dismissively. "Overruled. Go on."

"Yes."

"What did she hit you with?"

"Sometimes her fists. Sometimes . . . a belt. Or an extension cord. A bunch of things."

"Okay. What else did she do to you?"

The child looked at the ground. "She burned me. With – with her cigarettes."

"The prosecution enters exhibit A as evidence. This is documentation of the cigarette burns on Rhea's arm, from her mother."

"Allegedly," Kressler reminded Alex.

"Be quiet, Mr. Kressler," snarled Judge Petrovsky. She was looking at the picture herself. "This is horrible," she murmured.

Alex smiled at Rhea. "Thank you, Rhea. We're done." She turned to Kressler. "Your witness."

Kressler approached the witness stand. "Hello, Rhea."

Rhea shifted uncomfortably. "Hi."

"Do you know why you're here, Rhea?"

The child nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Benjamin got hurt."

Kressler paced for a moment. "That's part of it." He paused. "Do you have a good relationship with your mother?"

Rhea shrugged. "I don't know."

"What kind of things do you do together?"

The girl shrugged again. "I don't know."

"Do you ever cook together?"

Rhea hesitated. "I don't know."

"Do you read together?"

Rhea shook her head. "I don't know."

Kressler stopped and faced the child. "Did Ms. Cabot tell you what kinds of questions you should and shouldn't answer?"

"No."

"But she did tell you not to tell me about good times you had with your mom."

"No," said Rhea in such a icy voice that Alex almost smiled in spite of herself. "She told me to tell the truth."

"Did she tell you that you didn't have to answer all my questions?"

The little girl hesitated. "She said I could say, 'I don't know.'"

"All right. So it's fair to say that the ADA coached you for this?"

Alex stood up angrily. "Objection! Not a question."

"Sustained," said the judge. "You're treading on thin ice, Mr. Kressler."

The defense attorney clasped his hands. "All right, Rhea. Did your mom and your stepfather ever fight?"

Rhea paused. "Yes."

"Did he ever hit her?"

"I don't know."

"Did he ever hit you?"

Rhea looked back at him through clear eyes and held his gaze. "Yes."

"Thank you," said Kressler. "No further questions."

It was the last testimony. While the jury retreated to discuss their verdict, Rhea sat outside the courtroom with Olivia. "You did very well," Olivia assured her. "You're a very brave girl."

The door opened and Alex came to sit next to them. "Good job, Rhea."

The child sighed and put her head down on Olivia's shoulder. "I just want it to be over."

"It will be. Soon." Olivia stroked the little girl's hair. "You're a good girl, Rhea."


	4. Chapter 4

Judge Petrovsky looked up as the twelve jurors entered the courtroom. "Has the jury reached its verdict?"

"We have, your Honor."

"How do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty on all counts."

"Rhinda Jones, I sentence you to life in prison with no possibility of parole for twenty-five years," said the judge.

Rhea's mother lunged from her seat. "No! My baby!"

Alex signaled to the court officers, who grabbed Rhonda's arms and led her from the room.

Olivia turned to Rhea and squeezed her hand. "It's over, sweetie. You're safe. Everything's going to be okay."

The child looked up at the detective. "Thank you, Olivia."

Olivia's heart almost broke. There were no words for this. She put an arm around the little girl and held her close, rocking the child gently in her arms. "It's okay now," she whispered in Rhea's ear, tears streaming down her own cheeks. "You're okay."


	5. Chapter 5

"Benny!" Rhea let go of Olivia's hand and ran to her brother's side. She threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're feeling better! I missed you."

Benjamin hugged her back. "I missed you too, Rae. I love you."

"Love you too, Ben."

Olivia, Alex, and Elliot exchanged smiles. It was nice to see kids that were so close.

Rhea led her brother over to the grownups. "This is Olivia, this is Alex, and this is Elliot. They're our friends," she added, noticing her brother's wary expression. "They're going to help us."

Olivia bent down to Benjamin's level. "Hi, Benjamin. I'm glad you're feeling better."

Benjamin turned to his sister. "Where's Mommy?"

"You guys aren't going to live with her anymore, Benjamin," answered Alex.

"How come?"

Alex knelt down so she was at eye level with the child. "Benjamin, your sister told us how your parents treated you. I want you to know that what they did to you was not okay, and I don't want you to blame yourself. It isn't your fault or Rhea's. The only people whose fault it is are your mother and your stepfather."

"No!" shrieked Benjamin. He started to cry. "They'll hurt us – kill us – hurt you!"

"No, Benjamin." Alex took the little boy's hands in her own. "Calm down, honey. Calm down. No one's going to hurt you ever again. They're far away now, in a place where they will never hurt anyone again. You'll never have to see them again, Benjamin. What they did to you was bad, and now they're being punished for it. But Olivia and Elliot and I are here to protect you. I promise, no one will ever hurt you again."

Benjamin's sobs subsided and he turned to Rhea, still frightened. "But Rae, you told me not to tell anyone. You said bad things would happen."

"It's okay," she assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They're good people and they helped us and they'll help us more. Everything's going to be okay."

Elliot stooped down in front of Benjamin. "Do you know what? I have a little boy just your age. You know what he loves?"

"What?"

"Dinosaurs. Do you know anything about dinosaurs?"

Benjamin nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! My favorite's a Tyrannosaurus Rex, because they're the king. And you know three years ago, they didn't know that dinosaurs have feathers, but now they know it. Don't you think that's kind of silly – this huge dinosaur with feathers?"

Elliot laughed with the little boy. "Do you have any Yu-Gi-Oh cards? My son loves those too."

"Yeah. I have a Blue Eyes White Dragon deck, like Kaiba. I always beat Rhea when we play."

Elliot smiled. It had done the trick; Benjamin was comfortable around the adults.

Rhea sat down on a chair and pulled her brother onto her lap. "It's so good to see you again, Benny," she whispered into his ear.

He turned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It almost broke Alex's heart to see such genuine joy from these kids, who'd been deprived of so much throughout their young lives.

Rhea turned to Alex. "Alex, where are we going to stay tonight?"

Rhea had spent the last week in a different foster home each night and Alex didn't want to shuffle the children around any more than she had to. "You guys are going to come back to the station with us and we'll make some arrangements, okay?"

The little girl nodded, content at long last. She had Olivia, she had Alex, she had Elliot, and most importantly, she had her brother.


	6. Chapter 6

"Rhea." Olivia motioned for her to come closer. "Elliot and I are going back to your house to get some of your stuff. Is there something special that you or Benjamin would like us to pick up?"

Rhea hesitated. "My angel bear. And Benny's teddy."

"Okay. What do they look like?"

"Angel is a white teddy and she has gold wings. When you squeeze her, she says, 'I'm your guardian angel. I'm your special friend.'"

Olivia smiled. "Who gave her to you?"

"A nurse. When I was in the hospital when I was two or three. She gave Teddy to Benjamin too."

"Okay. What does Teddy look like?"

"He's purple and he sings when you press him. He has '2000' written on his left foot. Angel's on my bed and Teddy's on Benny's."

"All right. Elliot and I will be back in about an hour," said Olivia.

"We'll pick you up some clothes, too," added Elliot.

Rhea nodded. "Thank you."

Olivia and Elliot got into Olivia's car and she drove them to Rhea and Benjamin's old house. Olivia was worrying about how she would handle being back at the scene of the crime, but she said nothing.

The two of them got out of the car and entered the house. "I'll go into Rhea's room, you go into Benjamin's," said Olivia.

She entered Rhea's room. It was bare for the bedroom of an eight-year-old. There were no stuffed animals except for the angel bear, no toys, no books, no posters, nothing.

It was relatively easy to find the teddy bear. She was propped up on the pillows and Olivia picked her up. She pressed the bear's stomach, just to make sure, and she smiled as the teddy said, "I'm your guardian angel. I'm your special friend."

She went to Rhea's closet next. There were only a few outfits there, a couple pairs of jeans, a dress, a few shirts, a nightgown, and a pair of pajamas. Most of it, however, was old and ragged and looked as if it would be too small for Rhea, even though the little girl was small herself. She grabbed the nightclothes and two outfits anyway and went into Benjamin's room.

Elliot was rooting through Benjamin's closet. "Done, Liv?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's amazing though, because most of this stuff looks way too small."

"Can I see?"

Olivia handed him one of the shirts and he checked the size. "5X. Wow, I would have thought Rhea would wear at least a 7. Her mom probably hasn't bought her clothes in two or three years."

Olivia sighed. "Did you find the teddy bear?"

Elliot nodded and grabbed Benjamin's clothing. "Yeah. Let's go."

Wanting to get away from that small, sad house, Olivia led the way to her car.

* * *

Alex was sitting on the bed at the station with Rhea and Benjamin curled up beside her, reading _Oh, The Places You'll Go! _Benjamin was sucking his thumb contentedly as Alex read. "I'm afraid that _some_ times you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win 'cause they play against you."

Olivia and Elliot stood in the doorway, marveling at Alex's maternal side.

Alex continued to read. "On and on you will hike. And I know you'll hike far and face up to your problems, whatever they are." She looked up and noticed Elliot watching her, a smile playing around his lips. "_What_?"

Elliot grinned. "A sight I thought I'd never see."

Alex smiled. "What do you want?"

"We brought back Rhea and Benjamin's stuff and we brought back dinner for everyone. It's in the front room."

"Finish reading first," begged Benjamin.

Olivia smiled. "Mind if we join you?" She and Elliot perched on the side of the bed.

Alex gave an exaggerated sigh but continued to read. "You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just _never_ forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left." She turned to Rhea. "Your turn."

Rhea started to read. "And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¼ percent guaranteed.)

Alex took the book back. "Kid, you'll move mountains! So . . . be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So . . ."

Benjamin and Rhea chorused, "Get on your way!"

Alex closed the book and Benjamin clapped. "I love that book! My teacher read it to me at school."

Olivia smiled at him. "Come on out for dinner."

Rhea and Benjamin hopped off the bed and followed the detectives into the front room. They had picked up chicken nuggets for the kids and they dug in.

Olivia and Elliot put away the children's clothes. Elliot sat down with the teddy bears. "Oh, Teddy, I love you so much," Elliot said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking the Angel bear. Then he made his voice deeper. "I love you, too, Angel. Let's get married!"

Olivia laughed. "You're such a child."

Elliot smiled and made an elaborate bow. "Thank you, thank you very much. No, actually. The twins do that. They always have weddings between their stuffed animals. Elizabeth's dolls inevitably end up marrying Dickie's dinosaurs."

Olivia chuckled. "Just wait until they get older. Then all those married toys will be getting a divorce!"

She carefully laid the bears on the bed and the detectives went back out to the front room.

Olivia pulled out a chair next to Rhea and started her hamburger. Elliot sat down next to Benjamin and did the same. They ate in silence until the door opened and Captain Don Cragen walked in. "Benson, Stabler, Cabot, in my office. Hello Rhea, Benjamin."

Rhea watched the detectives and the ADA go into the captain's office with a worried expression on her face. Olivia noticed this. "Rhea, it's okay. We'll be back in a minute, sweetheart."

She turned and walked into Don Cragen's office with the others.

"Sit," Cragen invited them, and they did. "So what's happening to these kids?"

"We haven't gotten that far yet," Alex admitted. "They can stay here tonight, if that's all right with you."

He narrowed his eyes. "Who's going to stay with them?"

"I will," offered Olivia.

"Me too," added Alex.

"I would, but I need to be back with my family tonight," said Elliot.

"What about foster care?" asked Cragen.

"No," said Alex firmly. "I'm not putting those kids through that again. Rhea's been shuffled around like luggage for a week, and I believe Benjamin is currently is too fragile to go through that. We're keeping the kids here until we can find a permanent placement."

Cragen sighed. "Fine. You can keep them here if you so choose."

"Thank you, Captain," said Olivia. "They'll be relieved."


	7. Chapter 7

"Get in your pajamas, Benjamin," Olivia told him. "Bedtime."

Benjamin looked at Olivia. "Will you read to us?"

"Sure. I picked up three books from your house for you. What do you want me to read?"

"Did you bring _Pizza for Breakfast_?" asked Rhea. "That one's my favorite."

Olivia glanced at the books. "As a matter of fact, I did. Now run and get into your pajamas and I'll be in there to read to you in a minute."

The kids obediently trotted off to change and Olivia turned to Alex. "You coming?"

"No. I have some work to do."

Olivia smiled and shook her head. "You never change."

"No, Olivia. I spent all day with the kids and I need to get some stuff done. There's a case set for tomorrow and I am 100% not ready."

Olivia threw up her hands in surrender. "As you wish."

Alex retreated to her office and Olivia knocked on the door to the bedroom in the station. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," replied Rhea and opened the door.

"Come read with us!" said Benjamin, bouncing eagerly on the bed.

"Okay," she said and perched on the bed next to the kids.

Rhea lay down and Benjamin put his head on her shoulder and his thumb in his mouth as Olivia started to read. "Frank and Zelda owned a small pizza shop next to Mel's Summer Hat and Glove Factory. Business wasn't just good – it was booming. The workers at the factory came for lunch. The shopkeepers came for dinner. Frank made the pizza and Zelda served the customers."

Benjamin sighed contentedly. Rhea stroked his hair and gave him a kiss. Unexpectedly, tears welled up in Olivia's eyes as she watched the two of them. She stopped for a moment, just taking pleasure in the bond and pure love that the children shared. She was so glad that she had enabled them to be together and the people who hurt these precious children were behind bars.

"Keep reading," Benjamin begged.

Olivia smiled and wiped her eyes. "Right."

Benjamin and Rhea slid closer to Olivia as she continued to read. "It was a lot of work but they were happy, even though they didn't know it all the time. Frank complained the kitchen was too hot and the work never stopped. Zelda said her feet hurt from all the running.

"Late at night, Zelda would gaze at the factory and think, 'Someday people will get fed up with hats and gloves in the summer. We should make a plan, Frank and I.

"But they never made a plan. They'd clean up, go to bed and face another busy day."

Benjamin and Rhea were silent as Olivia continued the story. Rhea lay her head down on Olivia's shoulder. Olivia smiled and put her arm around the little girl as she finished the story.

"Soon, Frank and Zelda were happy again. And this time, they knew it."

Olivia closed the book and glanced at the children. Benjamin was curled up against his sister, sound asleep, sucking his thumb.

Olivia put the book down and turned to Rhea. "Are you ready to go to sleep?"

She nodded, then hesitated.

"What's the matter, Rhea?"

"Olivia, are we going to be okay?"

Olivia put her arm on Rhea's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Yes, Rhea. You're a strong girl. You'll be just fine."

Rhea nodded reluctantly. "Thank you."

Olivia got off the bed and lifted Benjamin into her arms. She tucked him in under the covers and then turned to Rhea. "Do you want me to tuck you in?"

Rhea smiled sheepishly. She had never had anyone tuck her in before. "Yes, please," she whispered.

Olivia tucked her in and said goodnight. She turned off the lights and went back downstairs to get done some work of her own.


	8. Chapter 8

Alex was sorting through some paperwork when Olivia knocked on the door. Alex looked up. "Come in."

Olivia entered the room and sat down on a chair across from Alex. She didn't say anything, just sat in silence.

Alex watched her for a moment. "_What_? I'm busy, Olivia."

Olivia sighed. "Doesn't it upset you?"

"You mean Rhea and Benjamin – the abuse?"

Olivia nodded. "They're great kids. I still can't see how anyone could hurt a defenseless child, especially two such wonderful children. I see them together, always hugging and kissing, so close . . . they love each other so much. It's just sad that all they've had, all their lives, has been each other."

Alex sighed. "I know, Liv. It's hard for me to see, too."

Suddenly a sharp scream pierced the air. Olivia and Alex looked at each other and dashed to the room where the children slept.

Olivia opened the door and saw Rhea sitting on the bed, her head in her hands, crying as if she had a broken heart.

Olivia sat down next to Rhea and took her into her arms. "It's okay, Rhea," she whispered in the child's ear. "It was only a dream."

Rhea looked up at Olivia. "I'm sorry I screamed."

"It's all right," Alex assured her. "Here, let's not wake your brother. Do you want to come out here with us?"

Rhea nodded.

"Do you want a piggyback?" asked Olivia.

The child smiled impishly and nodded, so Olivia lifted her onto her back and carried her out of the room.

Rhea sat down with Olivia on one side and Alex on the other.

"Rhea," said Alex gently. "Do you want to tell us about what scared you so much?"

The little girl hesitated. "It was my mom."

"Oh?"

"She was hurting me again – and Benjamin. She found out we were here and she came and she – she . . ." Rhea couldn't go on. She broke into fresh sobs and buried her head in her hands.

"It's okay, Rhea," whispered Olivia, placing a hand on the small of the child's back. "You don't need to talk if you don't want to."

"Olivia, are you and Alex and Elliot going to get hurt?"

"No, of course not, sweetie. Why would you ever think that?"

"I just feel like something bad is going to happen. Jordan has a lot of friends. I don't want to put you in any danger. I just don't want you or Benjamin to get hurt."

"You're safe now, Rhea," Alex assured the child.

"No." Rhea looked up at Alex through clear eyes. "I'll never be safe."


	9. Chapter 9

Olivia held Rhea until she fell asleep and put her back to bed. But she and Alex were awoken every few hours by one of the children screaming out in their sleep and this pattern continued until the morning. Needless to say, no one got much sleep.

When Elliot got to the station in the morning, the children were finally asleep. "Hey," he greeted Olivia and Alex. "Sleep well?"

"Oh, God." Olivia yawned. "Not at all."

Elliot laughed. "Want some coffee?"

"Oh, yes! Yes, please!"

"Coffee," approved Alex. "Noun, of Dutch origin, meaning 'drink of the gods'. Alternate meaning: 'quick and easy pick-me-up which gives you enough energy to handle another stressful day.'"

"Right. Thank you. Liv, we have our own personal dictionary! Can you do –"

"Stop it," snapped Alex. "Coffee! Move it."

Elliot chuckled and raised his arms in surrender. He left to get the coffee.

Olivia turned to Alex. "I hate pulling all-nighters. It sort of reminds me of university – you know, partying until three in the morning and then studying until nine or ten, and then going to class."

"I can honestly say I have no clue what you're talking about," said Alex.

Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Alex?" Benjamin was standing in the doorway, looking bleary-eyed.

Alex sighed. "Good morning, Benjamin." She took Benjamin's hand. "Do you want some breakfast? We have some cereal if you like."

He paused. "I'm a picky eater."

Alex knelt down to his level. "You know what, Ben? Me too!"

Benjamin laughed. "Rhea thinks it's silly, but I can't mix foods together. They taste so icky. Rhea says it all goes to the same place anyway, but going down it tastes really gross. So I always have to have separate plates for everything."

Alex smiled. "Me too. Is Rhea still sleeping?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Okay. Come sit down and we'll have breakfast together."

Benjamin pulled out a chair next to Alex, who took out the cereal. "Do you like Rice Krispies?"

He nodded. "They're Rhea's favorite so we have them a lot."

Alex poured the little boy a bowl of cereal.

"No weevils though, right?" he asked.

Alex was startled. "No, of course not. Why?"

He shrugged. "Last time we had some, there were weevils in it. Rhea was sick so she didn't go to the store, but then she started crying 'cause there was nothing to eat."

"Your mom didn't do the shopping?"

"Uh uh. Rhea did. She knows what I like. 'Cause I only like Nutella and a special kind of peanut butter and Mommy wouldn't know."

Alex nodded.

"You're not having any breakfast?"

"I am. Elliot's just getting it for me."

Elliot walked in the door and Alex and Olivia both ran to him. "Coffee!" shrieked Olivia.

Elliot left and set the coffees down on the table. He handed one to Olivia. "One for you." He handed the other to Alex. "And one for you."

Alex greedily gulped the coffee.

Benjamin was watching Alex in disgust. "That's all you're having for breakfast?"

Alex nodded. "Just wait until you're my age."

Benjamin grinned and finished his cereal. He turned to Alex. "This is like a hotel."

"Almost but not quite. We're the maid service, right?"

Benjamin giggled. "Will you play a game with me?"

"Actually, Benjamin, we have some business to take care of."

His face fell. "Oh."

"No, this business includes you and Rhea. We need to go to your school, see what you've missed, get you caught up, and figure out when you're going back."

Benjamin groaned. "Aw. But Rhea will be happy. She loves school."

Alex was amused. "And you don't?"

"Not really. Rhea's the smart one."

"Should we wake your sister or go the two of us and leave Elliot and Olivia with Rhea?"

Benjamin smiled. "Go the two of us. Rhea likes sleeping in."

"Okay. Go get dressed and then we'll leave."

Benjamin ran off to change and Alex turned to Olivia. "You stay with Rhea, okay? I'm taking Benjamin to his school to see what's going on. They've skipped almost two weeks of class."

Olivia nodded. "Go ahead."

Benjamin trotted back to Alex. "Ready!"

"Okay, honey. Let's go."


	10. Chapter 10

"Turn left," Benjamin directed Alex. "Go straight – left again. Right here."

"Is that it?" asked Alex, pointing to the public school in front of them.

"Yup. You have to park in the visitor spot 'cause the ones with numbers are for teachers. That's a rule."

Alex smiled and parked the car. "Okay, let's go."

They got out of the car and walked in the front door.

"You have to sign in," Benjamin told Alex. "That's a rule too."

"Okay."

They entered the office.

"Hey, Benjamin," said the plump secretary sitting at the front desk. "We've missed you for the last couple weeks. Where's your sister?"

"Sleeping," said Benjamin.

"And who's this?"

"This is Alex," said Benjamin.

Alex held out her hand. "Alexandra Cabot, ADA for the NYPD. We're taking care of the kids for now."

A tall woman with brown hair entered the office. She smiled when she saw Benjamin and knelt down n front of him. "Hi, Benjamin," she said softly. "We missed you. I'm glad you're back." She looked around and knitted her brows in concern. "Where's Rhea? Is she all right?"

"Yeah," Benjamin assured her. "She's just sleeping. It's just me and Alex here."

"Hi," said Alex, holding her hand out to the woman. "I'm Alexandra Cabot. I'm an ADA for the NYPD. The kids are staying with us. They're fine."

"Cara Bradley. I'm Rhea's teacher. What happened to them?"

Alex hesitated. "Benjamin, why don't you stay here? I'm just going to talk to Rhea's teacher, okay?"

Benjamin nodded.

Alex stepped out of the office and followed Ms. Bradley to Rhea's classroom. Both of them sat down.

"So, tell me what happened," said Ms. Bradley.

Alex sighed and explained to the teacher the entire story.

"Wow," said Ms. Bradley when she was finished. "But then, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Why not?"

Ms. Bradley hesitated. "I always thought the kids were abused. Rhea would miss school for a week, come back with bruises, fractures, the like. They'd come to school early most times and stay late. I used to let Rhea stay with me after school, help me out with some marking and stuff, because I knew she didn't want to go home. I always get to school an hour or so early and half the time Rhea and Benjamin were already there. It was always nice to see them together. Rhea loved her brother so much; she talked about him all the time. But she never talked about her parents. I never even met them."

"Did you try talking to Rhea?"

"Yes, but she denied it, over and over. I told her we could protect her and Benjamin but she wouldn't tell – she couldn't."

"Did you ever make a report to CPS?"

"Yes. As teachers we're mandated to report suspected abuse. CPS investigated, but the case was closed. They said they found no evidence of abuse."

"BS," muttered Alex. "I saw those bruises. And the burns."

"Burns?"

Alex sighed. "Cigarette burns. Ten or so up her arm."

Ms. Bradley put her hands over her mouth and swallowed hard. "God. Those poor children. Rhea's such a good girl . . . How could anyone hurt her like that?"

Alex didn't know what to say.

"I have her help me sometimes – she loves to help me with things. She has a flair for writing and I teach literacy to the third graders. She helps me mark their work sometimes, instead of going out for recess. She doesn't like going out for recess, but when she does, she always walks around with Benjamin. It's refreshing to see."

"Do you know Benjamin well?"

"Not really. I know what Rhea tells me of him and she talks about him a lot. And I see them together, and sometimes he stays in the classroom with Rhea and I."

"What do you mean?"

"When they're here before school, sometimes if it's cold or rainy outside, I let them come into the classroom with me. Who knows how long they've been out in the cold? They always walk home too, so sometimes I drive them home."

"That's nice of you." Alex paused. "Wait, they walk from here?"

Ms. Bradley nodded.

"It's at least an hour away."

"I know. Especially if it's snowing or dark, it isn't safe for a six-year-old and an eight-year-old alone on the streets."

"Did their mother know you drove them home sometimes?"

"I doubt it. I never met the woman."

"What about her stepfather?"

"I only saw him a couple times, but he had a good hold on Rhea. He scared the heck out of her."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw him hit Benjamin once. Rhea tried to stay as far away from him as she could – when he got close to her, she inched away; when he touched her, she flinched. He yelled at them all the time. That time when I saw him hit Benjamin, I told Rhea I wanted her help with something. She came, helped me photocopy something, and I asked her if she needed my help and I could keep her safe. She didn't want to talk about it. I always got the feeling that there was something more going on between them."

"Like?"

"Sexual abuse. She was scared of her mother, but she was really scared of this guy. She had nightmares about him."

Alex leaned forward. "How do you know?"

Ms. Bradley took a deep breath. "We were on an overnight trip. Rhea hadn't wanted to come; she wanted to stay with her brother. I – I told her she could come and have some fun herself and he would be just fine for one night. She was like a mother to him and I know it took its toll. Sometimes she would fall asleep in class and she would say she'd been up all night with her brother because he was sick, he was having nightmares, he was upset, etc. So I told Rhea to come and have a day to herself. She was worried about him but she finally agreed. She called him from my cell phone three or four times, but he was fine and so was she. She had a great time – told me it was one of the best days of her life. But at night, Rhea was sharing a room with another girl, Jenna, and at 10:00 it was lights out. I came by to check on everyone but Rhea didn't want to turn off the lights. She said that – she said that bad things happened in the dark and she was afraid. Luckily Jenna is easygoing, so she was fine with that. I didn't want to force her into an uncomfortable situation. I went back to my room."

"Then what happened?"

"Around two or three in the morning, someone knocked on my door. It was Jenna. She said Rhea was having nightmares and crying out in her sleep. I went in to make sure she was okay. She was screaming, 'Don't touch me! It hurts! Please don't hurt me!' It really frightened Jenna, and to be honest, it scared me too. I woke Rhea up. She started crying. She said she was sorry she woke Jenna and I up. I told her that was what I was here for. Jenna went back to sleep. I sat with Rhea until she fell back asleep too, which was an hour or so later. She's the youngest, so all the kids really look out for her. So do I. She's an eight-year-old with the brain of an adult in a class of eleven and twelve-year-olds."

"Do any of the kids pick on her?"

"No, actually. They all try to take care of her because she's so sensitive and she's so little in comparison to them. They're preteens and she's just a child."

"And a mother to her brother."

"That's right. When is she coming back to school? The kids miss her. I miss her."

"Soon, hopefully. Probably tomorrow or the next day."

"That's good."

"Thank you, Ms. Bradley."

"Thank you for helping these children. You're doing a really good thing, Ms. Cabot."

Alex smiled. "We'd better go. I'll see you soon, probably."

"All right. Say hi to Rhea for me."


	11. Chapter 11

Olivia was teaching Rhea how to do gimp when Alex and Benjamin returned. Benjamin immediately ran to his sister and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Olivia and Alex looked at each other and smiled as Rhea put her arm around her brother.

"Hi, Rhea," said Alex good-naturedly. "Hi, Olivia. Hope you're not getting paid to teach Rhea how to do gimp."

"Leave me alone! Bet you never did gimp when you were a kid. Too busy working to actually have any fun."

"As a matter of fact, I could make a bracelet a day when I was eight."

Olivia smiled. "I'm having a very hard time imagining that."

Rhea tapped Olivia on the shoulder. "Is this right?"

"Yeah. Pull it tight – just like that. Good, now keep doing that."

Rhea continued stitching the gimp and Benjamin climbed onto her lap. "Show me!"

"Okay. Olivia, do you have any more string?"

"Yeah. Here." She handed Benjamin two pieces of string.

"Watch me," Rhea told him. "Take the first piece of string and make two loops. Yeah, like that. Okay, now take the first piece of string. Show me. Okay, good. Now put that piece over the first loop and under the second. Now take the second piece and put it over the second loop and under the first one. Okay, now pull!"

Benjamin pulled so hard that the string broke. Both kids collapsed into helpless giggles.

"Rhea, are you going to be ready to go back to school tomorrow?" asked Alex, all business. "Ms. Bradley misses you and your friends want you back."

Rhea hesitated. "Okay."

"You know what we should do, Rhea?" asked Olivia.

"What?"

"We should go get you something nice to wear for your first day back."

Rhea looked at the sleeve of the shirt that she was wearing, which rode up halfway to her elbow. "I have clothes."

"I know. But every little girl likes getting new ones, right? And I'm sure you haven't had new clothes in a while."

Rhea paused. "Benjamin too. He needs them more than me."

Olivia looked at Benjamin and couldn't help but agree. "All right. Let's go out and get you some new clothes."

Rhea put down her gimp and the kids followed Olivia out to her car.

Both kids chose a few outfits that they liked and then Olivia took them to the cashier.

"Olivia, who's paying for this?" asked Rhea quietly.

"Does it matter?"

Rhea smiled. "Thanks, Olivia."

The cashier handed Olivia her change and the three of them went back to the car.

"Hey, do you guys want to go out and get a hot chocolate?"

Benjamin nodded enthusiastically.

Rhea smiled shyly. "Yes, please."

* * *

Olivia drove them to the nearby coffee shop and they went inside. Olivia ordered a cappuccino and both kids got hot chocolates.

They sat in a booth sipping their drinks.

"Thank you, Olivia," said Rhea. She nudged her brother.

Benjamin looked up, displaying a milk mustache. "Thank you, Olivia," he echoed.

Rhea took a napkin, wiped her brother's mouth, and murmured something in his ear that made him grin.

Olivia smiled. "You're welcome."

* * *

As Olivia was strapping Benjamin into the car, he looked up at her and said, "Olivia?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

He sighed contentedly. "This has been one of the best days of my life."


	12. Chapter 12

"Alex," said Rhea, quietly. "Where are we going to stay tonight?"

Alex looked up from her paperwork. "You're coming home with me tonight. I don't want you to stay at the station again."

"Is that okay?"

"Yes. In fact, the captain recommended it."

"Okay," said Rhea. "Thanks, Alex."

Alex smiled at the little girl. "Let me finish this stuff and we'll leave in about an hour, okay?"

Rhea nodded and left Alex's office.


	13. Chapter 13

An hour later, the three of them arrived at Alex's apartment. Alex unlocked the door and let the kids in.

Alex led Rhea and Benjamin into the guest bedroom and dropped their bags on the floor.

"Thank you for letting us come with you, Alex," Rhea said.

"Not a problem. I love having such polite, well-mannered guests," said Alex with a smile.

Benjamin climbed onto one of the twin beds and placed his teddy bear on the pillow.

"I'm going to make dinner, okay?" said Alex. "Will you guys eat spaghetti?"

Rhea nodded. Benjamin looked uncertain. "With the sauce on a separate plate and margarine, not butter. Butter gives me headaches."

Alex laughed. "Okay. It'll be ready in twenty minutes." She left to start dinner.

Rhea started taking her clothes out of her bag, folding them neatly and placing them in a drawer. Benjamin sat on the bed drawing pictures of dinosaurs and Yu-Gi-Oh dragons, retreating into a fantasy world of his own creation.


	14. Chapter 14

Around 2:00 in the morning, Alex was awoken by a scream and then muffled sobbing coming from the children's room. She ran in and saw Rhea sitting up in bed, crying. She looked up as Alex entered the room and immediately said, "I'm s-sorry I w-woke you."

Alex perched on the side of her bed. "Another nightmare?"

Rhea nodded, sniffling.

"Do you want me to lie down with you?"

Rhea nodded again so Alex lay down next to her, holding the child and stroking her hair until the little girl fell back into a fitful sleep.

* * *

The next morning, the kids were up and ready by 8:00 and Alex drove them to school. She signed in at the office and walked Benjamin to his classroom, then turned to Rhea. "Do you want me to take you to your classroom?"

Rhea hesitated, so Alex reasoned, "It's early, so your classmates won't see you coming in. You won't need to make a huge entrance."

Rhea took Alex's hand. "Please come with me."

"All right, sweetheart."

The two of them walked hand in hand toward Rhea's sixth grade classroom.

"Ready?" Alex asked the child.

She nodded and pushed open the door.

Ms. Bradley, sitting at her desk marking papers, looked up and her face lit up when she saw Rhea. "Hi, sweetie. We missed you."

Rhea let go of Alex's hand and ran to hug her teacher. Ms. Bradley smiled as she hugged the child back.

"I missed you, too," whispered Rhea.

"Would you mind helping me with something before school starts?"

Rhea nodded eagerly. "What do you need?"

Ms. Bradley handed her an eraser. "Could you erase the whiteboard?"

Rhea nodded and obediently started to erase the board.

Ms. Bradley noticed Alex. "Hello again, Ms. Cabot."

"Hi, Ms. Bradley. Rhea, you'll be okay?"

Rhea nodded comfortably. "Bye, Alex. See you after school. Say hi to Olivia and Elliot for me."

Alex left with a smile. Rhea was going to be just fine.


	15. Chapter 15

When Alex came to pick up the kids after school, both of them were chattering away happily.

"Alex, I lost a tooth!" exclaimed Benjamin. "Look!"

"Wow, Ben," said Alex. "That's great."

"We went to the library today," said Rhea. "I got a new book. It's called _Handle With Care_. It's the new Jodi Picoult."

Alex looked at her through the rearview mirror. "I love those books too. Did you read _My Sister's Keeper_? That one was my favorite."

"Yeah. I loved that one. I also liked _Keeping Faith_."

They reached the police station and the kids scampered inside. Olivia came out from the back room to greet them. Benjamin ran to her.

"Olivia!" he crowed. "I lost a tooth! See?"

Olivia knelt down in front of him. "Do you know what you need to do with it?"

"What?"

"Put it under your pillow tonight so the tooth fairy will come."

Benjamin looked confused. "Tooth fairy?"

"You don't know about the tooth fairy?"

He shook his head. "Mommy doesn't believe in fairies."

"Oh. Well, let me tell you something. When you lose a tooth, you put it under your pillow and then while you're sleeping, the tooth fairy takes your tooth and leaves you a present instead."

"What does she do with all those teeth?"

"She collects them, just like you collect Yu-Gi-Oh cards."

Benjamin knitted his brow. "But how will she know I'm here? I've never heard of her before."

"Tell you what, Benjamin. I'll tell the tooth fairy where you are, okay? And she'll bring you a gift."

Benjamin's eyes widened. "You _know_ her?"

Olivia smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do."

Benjamin grinned. "Thanks, Olivia."


	16. Chapter 16

The kids soon settled into a routine with Alex. Nothing more was said about more permanent accommodations and Alex found she was enjoying having the children with her. She had never even allowed the thought of kids to cross her mind, but now it was different. She couldn't imagine abandoning them now.

Rhea's nightmares had abated, for the most part. She would still wake up screaming about once a week and occasionally needed pills to get to sleep, but she was doing better. Both of them were happier, less wary, almost like normal kids, as if the abuse had never happened. If you didn't know better, you wouldn't be able to guess that there was anything different about them.

Every day after school, Alex took Rhea and Benjamin back to the station with her. Sometimes they worked on homework or read; sometimes they chatted with Elliot or Olivia.

One day, though, Alex got a call from the children's school from Benjamin. He was hysterical and all she could piece together of his words was, "Rhea – Jordan – gone – here– help!"

Alex took a deep breath. "Okay, Benjamin. Calm down. I'm on my way there, sweetheart. I'm coming."

Alex rummaged around in her purse for her car keys and started for the door.

"Alex," Olivia called after her. "Where are you going?"

"Benjamin called. He needs me to come. I'm not sure what happened – something about Rhea and Jordan?"

"Oh, God. Do you want me to come with you?"

Alex started to shake her head but changed her mind. "Sure. Hurry."

Olivia grabbed her coat and raced out the door after Alex.

* * *

When they got to the school, they found Benjamin sitting in the office, crying his eyes out. Ms. Bradley was sitting next to him with a hand on his shoulder, talking to him about dinosaurs, trying to calm him down.

Benjamin leapt up when he saw Alex and ran into her arms. "Alex!" he blubbered.

Alex stoked his hair. "Benjamin, it's okay. Everything's going to be just fine." She lifted him into her arms, whispering words of comfort in his ear.

Olivia turned to Ms. Bradley and started to introduce herself. "I'm Olivia Benson –"

Ms. Bradley held out her hand. "Of course. I'm Rhea's teacher, Cara Bradley. She's told me all about you."

Olivia smiled. "Good things, I hope."

"Thank you for helping them."

Olivia sighed. "They're great kids. Do you want to tell me what happened here?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I was teaching the third graders at the time – my class was having French. I got back to my classroom and Rhea wasn't there. I asked Madame DiGuilio where Rhea was and she said that her father had come and signed her out. Rhea said she didn't have a father and wasn't allowed to go with her stepfather and Madame told her to go down and sort it out. Rhea didn't come back."

"Who was in the office?"

"The principal isn't here today and neither is the vice-principal. The secretary was out for lunch. It was Ms. Brown who was in the office – she's the seventh grade teacher."

"Does she know Rhea?"

"No."

"Okay. Would you mind telling me where I can find her?"

"Here, I can do better." Ms. Bradley picked up a phone and pressed a button. Her voice came over the speaker. "Could Ms. Brown please come down to the office? Ms. Brown, to the office, please."

Ms. Bradley turned back to Olivia. "I'm so sorry, Detective Benson. If I had been there, this would never have happened."

Olivia took a deep breath. "It's not your fault. We're going to find Rhea. She'll be just fine."

Ms. Brown came into the office. "Hey, Cara. What's up?"

"Stephanie, this is Detective Olivia Benson. She needs to ask you a few quick questions. Detective, this is Stephanie Brown."

"Ms. Brown, do you remember seeing a little girl, red hair, eight years old, leaving about an hour ago?" asked Olivia.

"Rhea? Sure. Her dad came to pick her up."

"Did she seem upset?"

"Yes. She said she didn't want to go. She said she was having a French test and needed to finish. She started crying. He whispered something in her ear and she stopped."

"You just let her go?"

Ms. Brown nodded. "Yes. Did I do something wrong?"

Olivia sighed. "Her stepfather isn't allowed anywhere near her. He abused her."

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry."

"No, no. You didn't know. It wasn't your fault. Thank you, Ms. Brown."

The teacher left the office and Olivia turned to Benjamin. "Ben, when did you find out Rhea was gone?"

"Ms. Bradley called down to my classroom and asked if Rhea was with me. She wasn't." Benjamin sniffled. "So I called Alex."

"You did the right thing," Alex assured him.

Olivia took a deep breath. "Now all we need to do is find Rhea."


	17. Chapter 17

Olivia took out her phone and dialed Elliot's number. "El? Rhea's missing. Her stepfather took her. Tell the captain and send out an Amber Alert. We need to find her before it's too late."

"Oh, God. Yeah. Where are you, Liv?"

"At the school." She gave Elliot the directions.

"I'll be there in ten. Stay put."

Olivia hung up her phone and turned to Alex. "You take Benjamin home."

"No way!"

"Alex, it's taken care of. You stay with Benjamin. He needs you. I'll call you when there's news."

Alex opened her mouth to protest but thought the better of it. "Okay. Thanks, Liv." She said goodbye to Ms. Bradley and carried Benjamin out to the car, rubbing his back soothingly.

Elliot arrived at the school a few minutes later. "Okay, Liv. Munch and Tutuola sent the message out to the airports, bus stations, train stations, etc. We need to go over to the kids' house to see if they find any clues that may indicate where they went."

"Okay. I'll leave my car here. Let's go."

They climbed into the police car and Elliot drove to Benjamin and Rhea's house. Nothing looked out of the ordinary but they got out of the car and entered the house anyway.

"I'll look in Rhea's room," said Elliot. "You check out the master bedroom."

Olivia nodded and they split up. Olivia started going through the drawers, looking through papers and a hodgepodge of other items. She found nothing and started going through Rhea's mother's jewelry box to see if any papers might be hidden inside. She ran her hand along the bottom of the box and suddenly felt something strange. "Elliot!" she called. "Come here!"

Elliot ran in. "What?"

Olivia took the jewelry out of the box. "Feel this."

Elliot ran his hand along the bottom of the box. "There's something under here." He lifted off the first layer. "Liv!"

She looked down at the box. In the hidden layer was concealed a key. Olivia pocketed it. "What do you think this unlocks?"

Elliot shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Why are they hiding it?"

"Maybe it's a spare key."

"Probably, but for what? A box – or a door?"

"It isn't the house key and none of the rooms in this house have a lock except the kids' rooms and the basement, and this doesn't look like it matches either."

Elliot thought of something else. "Where does Jordan work?"

"Local karate school."

"Let's go."


	18. Chapter 18

The detectives burst into the karate school twenty minutes later. Jordan was on the floor teaching four and five-year-old white belts their _kata_.

"Seems fitting," muttered Olivia. "Seeing this monster teaching little kids how to kick and punch."

Elliot rolled his eyes. "I took karate when I was a little kid and it isn't like that. It's more about self-confidence."

"Increasing self-esteem through violence? I'm not buying it."

"Should we interrupt the class?"

Olivia hesitated and nodded reluctantly. "But don't scare the kids."

They strode toward Jordan. He looked up when he noticed them, a deer in headlights, but then relaxed his features. "Detectives, what can I do for you?"

"We need to ask you a few questions," answered Elliot. "Would you mind coming down to the station?"

"I'm busy," he said. "Can we do it here?"

Elliot shrugged. "As you wish. So your stepdaughter that you kidnapped – Rhea. Where is she?"

Jordan's face clouded over. "Can we do this later?"

"No, actually," said Olivia. "We can't. Come with us to the station or else we will arrest you for kidnapping – a federal charge."

He raised his hands in surrender. "Okay! Give me a second." He jogged off the floor and said something to another instructor and followed the detectives out to the car.

"How can he act so normal?" murmured Olivia in disgust.

Elliot shrugged. "Same reason as any other perp. They look perfectly sane but they're not."

Elliot drove back to the station and they led Jordan into their interview room. Elliot sat down in a chair across from Jordan and Olivia paced anxiously.

"So, Jordan," said Olivia. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Let's not play games," she snapped. "Your stepdaughter, Rhea."

He looked up innocently. "I'm supposed to stay away from that brat."

Olivia took a deep breath, resisting the temptation to respond to that comment. "Several teachers at her school can corroborate that you were there an hour and a half ago and picked up Rhea. We already talked to them, so don't tell us any lies. So help me, I will charge you with obstruction of justice."

"I don't know where that kid is. Good riddance to bad rubbish."

"Okay, do you have any idea where she might be?"

"No clue."

"You do realize that obstruction of justice is a federal offence?"

Jordan glared at her. "Yes, I do."

Olivia decided to try a different approach. "Jordan, we know you love that little girl very much, don't you?"

He hesitated, looking for the trap but not finding it. "I do."

"We care about her very much too and we want to find her. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

Jordan changed his own tactics. "You put my wife in jail. It's Rhea's fault. She told all these lies about us."

"Okay, but we're not talking about that right now," cut in Elliot. "Where's Rhea?"

Jordan grinned wickedly. "You'll never find her."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Nope, but neither will you. Ever. She'll die a gruesome death. Alone. As she should."

Olivia clenched her hands, wanting so much to hit the monster in front of her. "We need you to tell us where she is."

Jordan laughed. "No."

"We can arrest you for obstruction then," Elliot told him.

"Then do it," said Jordan. "But I'll never tell."


	19. Chapter 19

Olivia was fed up. She and Elliot had spent the last three hours trying to worm information out of Jordan, but he refused to give in.

"Are you going to charge me with anything?" he asked coolly. "Or can I go home now?"

Elliot sighed. He knew he had no choice. "Go home," he spat out. "But we'll be back. If you so much as step foot out of your house, I swear to God we will be right there, watching you."

"I look forward to it," replied Jordan. "Good day, detectives."

Olivia and Elliot watched him leave and the minute he walked out the door, Olivia, who prided herself on her resilience, her bravery, her strength, her ability to face tough situations and come out just fine, burst into tears.

Elliot watched her awkwardly for a moment, unsure what to do. Olivia was usually strong for him when he needed her, not the other way around.

He crossed to the other side of the table and put his hand on Olivia's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," he soothed her. "We'll find Rhea. We will. He'll give it up eventually. It'll be over soon."

Olivia looked up and wiped her eyes. "No, it won't be, Elliot. You don't understand. Rhea will never be the same. This will have traumatized her. Even if it's over for us, it'll never be over for Rhea."


	20. Chapter 20

Fifteen hours later, Olivia and Elliot were waiting outside Rhea and Benjamin's house. They had been at the station all night and Olivia hadn't slept at all. Now they were waiting for Jordan to make his move.

"There he is," Olivia said to Elliot, tapping him on the shoulder.

He was dozing off. She, on the other hand, was wide awake. It had nothing to do with the three cups off coffee she'd drank. She knew it would be impossible to sleep until Rhea was back where she belonged.

Elliot started. "What? Oh, right."

Olivia turned on the car and started to drive after Jordan. She knew he saw her because he was staring at her through the rearview mirror. He winked at her. _Bastard._

He stopped at the karate school and Olivia's enthusiasm dampened. "Oh, he's just going to work."

"At seven in the morning?"

She shrugged. "Probably some paperwork to take care of. Classes start at eight or nine, I think, so he's probably opening the school."

They sat in the car for several hours, Elliot in the in-between land of sleep and alertness and Olivia caught up in her own morbid thoughts. What if they couldn't find Rhea? Then she would have failed the child who she'd come to care so much about and who trusted her so much.

"Olivia," said Elliot finally. "Let's take a break and get some lunch."

"No!" insisted Olivia stubbornly. "I need to see where he goes. I need to see where he's keeping Rhea."

"Liv, he's at _work_. He's going to be at work for at least four more hours. Sitting out here is futile."

Even faced with this logic, Olivia couldn't let go of this. "No. Go get lunch without me. I'll go inside."

Elliot sighed. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Just a salad. I'm not so hungry."

"Okay. I'll be back in twenty."

Olivia got out of the car and entered the _dojo_. She mounted the stairs and went to sit down. She sat watching Jordan teach, shaking her head at how normal he looked. He noticed her sitting there and smiled at her. She glared back.

She watched him with his hand on the shoulder of a girl who looked no older than five or six and a wave of nausea rose within her as she remembered what Rhea had told her about Jordan and what he had done to her at night. How could those little girls stand being touched by such a monster? Pedophiles never stop, and Olivia couldn't even imagine how many additional victims there were.

The class finished and Jordan came over to Olivia. "Hello, Detective."

"Where's Rhea?" she snapped.

"Rhea who?"

"Rhea who?" repeated Olivia. "Your wife's daughter, you son of a bitch!"

He laughed. "Oh, _that_ Rhea. Did I touch a nerve there, sweetheart?" He reached out to touch her shoulder.

That was just too creepy. Olivia batted his hand away. "Don't touch me!"

"Oh, a feisty one. I like that."

Olivia looked around. His students and their parents had left. It was just the two of them. "Just because Elliot isn't here doesn't mean you can treat me like this. I'm not interested in your flirtations."

"Oh, that's what you think I'm doing? Just manners, baby." He put his arm around her.

She moved away, completely understanding how Rhea must have felt when she was with him. No, Rhea must have felt worse. She put her hand on her gun even though she had no intention of using it. She just wanted to reassure herself that it was still there.

Jordan laughed. "You gonna shoot me?"

"I'm thinking about it," lied Olivia. "You know, I've done it before."

"Go figure. Bet it was a man who tried to come onto you, right? Pretty girl like you – bet you get that a lot. If you weren't such a bitch, I might even be into that sort of thing."

"You know what, I really don't give a damn whether you love me or hate me. It's my job to find your stepdaughter and that's what I'm here to do."

"Hmm." Jordan stroked his chin. "Well, I might have some information about that. For a price."

"Oh, really?" asked Olivia sarcastically.

"Yeah, really. But you'll have to ask me nicely."

Olivia rolled her eyes. Her pride was important to her but Rhea was even more important. "Please, Jordan."

"Hmm. That was nice. Why don't you try again?"

"Please, Jordan," repeated Olivia.

"Down on your knees," he ordered her.

Olivia looked surprised. "No!"

"Do it if you want the child, bitch," he said, a smile playing around his lips.

Tears sprang to Olivia's eyes, but she did as instructed. She knelt down and looked at the ground, more humiliated than she'd ever been in years. It reminded her of her days with her own mother. Those were the days of humiliation that she'd tried so hard to forget.

"Please, Jordan," she whispered. "Tell me where Rhea is."

The smile spread across Jordan's face. "I don't know, baby," he said. "I think I need something more . . ."

"Olivia?" Elliot had entered the building, looking for his partner. He ran to her. "Liv, are you all right?"

She looked up at him, blinking back the tears. She regained her strength and got to her feet. "Jordan –"

"I have another class to teach, babe," he said with a smirk. "But if you want, we can hook up afterward."

"You disgust me!" Olivia spat out. She turned on her heel and marched out the door with Elliot close behind.

Once they were safely back in the car, Elliot turned to Olivia. "What was _that_ all about?"

Olivia was shaking with rage and humiliation. "I – I don't want to talk about it."

Elliot nodded. "Okay. Did you get anywhere?"

"He knows where she is. He just doesn't want to tell me. He won't give it up, El."

"He will. All perps do eventually."

"This guy isn't like the rest of them, El. He enjoys this. He gets off on it. Poor Rhea!"

Elliot sighed. "I brought you a salad."

She pushed it away. "I'm not hungry."

"Liv, you've got to eat. You haven't had anything since yesterday morning."

"Leave me alone!" she snapped, and burst into tears again. "I'm sorry, Elliot. This is just really stressing me out."

"I understand."

"It's one thing when the victim's dead or even when you don't know them. But when you do and they're a child and you know what they've been through, it's just different."

"I get it. You see yourself in that little girl, don't you?"

"I haven't endured most of the atrocities she has, but other than that, yes," admitted Olivia.

"Olivia," said Elliot. "We might not find her. You have to distance yourself."

She looked up at him. "I can't. I need to help this child. She means something to me, El. I thought you of all people would understand. What if it was Elizabeth or Kathleen or Maureen?"

"I know, Liv." Elliot sighed. "But Rhea isn't you. Kids are especially resilient. They get through."

"They may look like it," Olivia corrected him. "But they'll never be the same."

"How do you know?"

Olivia looked at the ground. "I wasn't."


	21. Chapter 21

Eight hours later, Olivia and Elliot were still sitting outside the karate school.

"It's dark outside," said Olivia. "Classes are over. But he's still here. What the hell is he doing?"

Elliot sighed. "Do you want me to go in and check on him?"

Olivia shook her head. "I will. He wants me. He doesn't care about you. He wants to piss me off. He wants to play games with me."

"And you think walking into his trap is a good idea?"

"It's the only way to protect Rhea."

Elliot leaned toward her. "But at what price?"

She pulled away. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"I know. You're the bravest person I've ever met. But Liv, there's a different between bravery and foolishness."

Olivia swallowed. "I'll be careful."

"Okay. I'll be up in half an hour if you're not down by then."

"Thanks, Elliot."

She got out of the car and went upstairs to the _dojo_. Jordan was nowhere to be seen.

"Hello?" called Olivia. "Jordan?" Then she heard a scream. It sounded like – a child. Begging for help. "Rhea? I'm coming, sweetheart. I'm coming. Tell me where you are."

But of course Rhea – if it was Rhea – couldn't hear her.

Olivia followed the sound of the screaming. It seemed to be coming from the front office. Olivia entered the room, but it was empty. Yet the screaming was definitely coming from this direction.

Olivia had an idea. She took out her cell phone and dialed Elliot's number. "El, I need you," she whispered.

"Coming."

She lifted up the rug and sure enough, there it was – a trapdoor. Suddenly the pieces fell into place.

Olivia took the key out of her pocket. It fitted the lock on the trapdoor perfectly. She lifted it up and looked beneath.

There was a ladder and Olivia climbed down it. There was a chamber with several rooms resembling a dungeon. Shivering, she followed the sound of the crying.

The sobbing grew louder and louder until Olivia was sure she'd found the source. There was a makeshift door and Olivia pushed it open.

There was Jordan, his pants down, on top of Rhea. The little girl was covered in new bruises and abrasions, and her eyes widened when she noticed Olivia. Jordan's back was to Olivia so he didn't see her.

Elliot came up behind Olivia. "Put your pants on," he ordered Jordan. "You are under arrest for the kidnapping, rape, aggravated sexual assault, and assault on a minor. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you." He handcuffed Jordan and led him away.

Olivia knelt down in front of Rhea, who was sobbing quietly. "Oh, sweetheart," she whispered, taking the little girl into her arms and rocking her back and forth. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. It's okay now. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay."


	22. Chapter 22

"She's in stable condition," the doctor told Olivia, who was sitting in the waiting room biting her nails, a habit she thought she'd broken years ago. "She's malnourished – hasn't had anything to eat or drink since she was taken. She's been badly beaten and violently raped over and over again, but she'll survive. Mentally, though, I'm not sure how she'll be. There's no question that she's been traumatized, but she's a strong little girl."

"Has she said anything to you?"

"No."

Olivia got up. "I want to see her. I need to see her."

"Fine, but don't upset her."

Olivia followed the doctor into the hospital room. Rhea was lying on the bed and smiled when she saw Olivia.

Olivia perched on the edge of the bed and put her hand on Rhea's. "Hey, Rhea. How are you doing?"

Rhea didn't say anything.

"I missed you, sweetheart. We're all so glad you're safe. Benjamin is excited to see you again but we thought it might be better to wait until you're feeling a bit better."

The little girl still stayed silent.

Olivia sighed. "I brought you something. Do you want me to read to you?"

Rhea inclined her head slightly, so Olivia lay down next to her. "It's called _If I'd Known Then What I Know Now_. It was one of my favorite books when I was your age." She opened the book and began to read. "We built this house when I was one (My dad was just learning how). Through the holes in the roof you can see the sun and when it rains we have buckets of fun. My dad says, 'Son it would be all done if I'd known then what I know now!'"

She continued to read, glancing every so often at Rhea, who was listening intently to the story, a tranquil look on her face.

"We put up the chimney when I was six (My dad was just learning how). The smoke stays in and the fire goes out and the wind blows the cinders all about. Dad says, 'You'd love this without a doubt if I'd known then what I know now!'"

Rhea lay her head down on Olivia's shoulder and Olivia put her arm around the child as she finished the story. "We gave a big party when I was twelve (My dad is still learning how). The neighbors came, and the animals too. We all said, 'Dad, what you say is true. But we still wouldn't want any dad but you if we'd known then what we know now!'"

Olivia closed the book and Rhea sighed deeply. It made Olivia sad that such a little girl would have so much tension inside of her. She held Rhea until she fell asleep and stayed with her through the night, comforting her when she woke up crying every twenty or thirty minutes. She knew Rhea wouldn't have a sound, untroubled sleep for a long, long time.


	23. Chapter 23

Alex stopped by the next day. "Hey, Rhea," she said, sitting down next to the little girl.

Rhea still wasn't talking. She just stared at Alex.

Olivia yawned. "Hi, Alex."

"I've got something for you, Liv," said Alex, handing Olivia a cup of coffee. "And one for you." She gave Rhea a hot chocolate.

The child sipped her hot chocolate silently, watching Alex out of the corner of her eye.

"She's still not talking?" Alex murmured to Olivia.

"Nope. Hasn't said a word."

Alex sighed and stroked Rhea's hair. "Poor baby."

Olivia put down her cup of coffee. "How's Benjamin?"

"He's fine. He misses Rhea."

Olivia nodded.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Alex asked, turning back to Rhea. "Let's see – I brought the new American Girl movie, the one about Kit. I also have _The Last Mimzy_, _High School Musical_, _Nim's Island_, and _Madagascar._"

Olivia laughed. "What did you do, buy the video store?"

Alex looked insulted. "No. I was picking up some movies for Benjamin and he suggested getting a couple for Rhea, so I did. He thought she'd be bored in the hospital and frankly, I agree."

"Which one do you want to watch, sweetie?" asked Olivia.

Rhea didn't say anything.

"Do you want to watch the American Girl movie?"

Rhea nodded.

Alex put the video into the television and pressed play. While Rhea was watching the movie, she took Olivia aside. "How is she?"

Olivia sighed. "Traumatized. As you see."

"But will she be okay?"

"Physically, yes. But emotionally, we'll just have to wait and see. For now, she needs all the care we can give her."

"Her teacher wants to come see her."

Olivia hesitated. "I think that will be fine, but she should ask Rhea first. And of course, we'd have to prep the hell out of Ms. Bradley because it's definitely not a pretty sight to see a kid in such bad condition."

The two of them went back into Rhea's room. "Rhea," said Olivia quietly. "Your teacher misses you. Would you like your teacher to come see you?"

The little girl nodded, then turned back to the video.

"Okay," agreed Alex. "I'll tell her. Tomorrow."


	24. Chapter 24

Alex and Olivia sat outside Rhea's hospital room the next day. Her teacher was sitting with her, talking, although Alex and Olivia couldn't hear what Ms. Bradley was saying. Rhea still hadn't spoken yet. Dr. Huang recommended that they give her time and she'd talk when she was ready.

Ms. Bradley got up and said goodbye to Rhea. She left the hospital room, visibly shaken.

"How is she?" asked Olivia. "Did she say anything?"

Ms. Bradley shook her head. "But I think she was happy to see me. Will she get better?"

Olivia sighed. "Hard to say. They don't want to give up false hope, but I believe in Rhea. She's been through a lot and she's a strong girl."

Ms. Bradley shook her head. "That poor child. Thank you for letting me come see her."

"She might not be ready to come back to school for a few weeks," said Alex. "Would you mind bringing any work that she needs to catch up on?"

"Sure. She'll be fine with it; she's a smart girl."

Alex and Olivia said goodbye to Ms. Bradley and then went in to see Rhea. "Hey, sweetie," said Olivia, sitting down next to Rhea. "How are you doing?"

Rhea remained impassive, and Olivia sighed. Would Rhea ever be the same?


	25. Chapter 25

Three weeks later, Rhea was still in ICU. Olivia and Alex took turns staying with her and Benjamin came to visit when he could. Rhea still hadn't said a word.

Alex was working at hard as she could to prosecute Jordan. This was a unique case in that it didn't depend on the victim's testimony; Jordan had been caught red-handed by the detectives. That should have made it easier, but in fact, it did the opposite. Having to go over and over what had happened to the little girl she'd come to care so much about was downright painful.

Alex went to visit Rhea the day before the trial. "Do you want to be there?" she asked. Even though Alex didn't believe it was a good idea, she thought it might be good for Rhea to have some closure, to see that Jordan would be gone forever and would never hurt Rhea or Benjamin ever again.

Rhea nodded.

"Okay," Alex said. "Olivia can bring you."

So the next morning, Rhea was sitting in the courtroom in a new blue dress, clutching Olivia's hand.

They listened to Elliot's testimony and Olivia testified herself. Both of the detectives made sure to explain how traumatized Rhea was and how she'd stopped talking. The jury seemed sympathetic. Ms. Bradley testified about the abuse that had gone on as well.

Then it was Jordan's turn. His attorney, Samuel Jarvis, approached the witness stand and asked the routine questions. Then he said, "Jordan, do you love Rhea?"

Jordan nodded. "She's like my own daughter. I love her more than anything."

Rhea put her hands over her mouth and swallowed hard.

"Are you okay?" Olivia whispered. The little girl nodded.

"Did you see your stepdaughter any time after the restraining order was enacted?" asked Jarvis.

"Yes," said Jordan. "She called me from the school, upset, the day she went missing. She said she missed me and wanted to see me again."

"Why?"

"She said the detective kept telling all these lies about me and was being cruel to her. She said she was scared."

"How was this detective being cruel to her?"

"She was trying to make her testify about bad things I'd done to her, which never happened."

"But why was she scared?" pressed the attorney.

"She said the detective had hit her," said Jordan.

"Sorry, could you tell me which detective this was?"

Jordan tried to hide his smirk. "Olivia Benson." He pointed. "Right there."

Olivia opened her mouth in shock. There was nothing to say to such an outlandish accusation.

"So you're saying that Olivia Benson pushed Rhea to say things about you that were untrue, and she did this by hurting your stepdaughter?"

"Objection!" cried two voices in unison.

Alex turned to see where the sound was coming from. Rhea had leapt to her feet. "You are a liar!" she spat.

"Rhea," said Olivia, surprised and pleased that she was talking again yet knowing this could jeopardize the case.

"No," said Rhea, yanking her arm out of Olivia's grasp. "Let me talk."

"Your Honor," said Jarvis. "Remove this child from the courtroom immediately."

The judge waved away the objection.

Rhea looked frightened for a moment, then said, "I want to tell you what happened."

The judge nodded. "Come up here, sweetheart."

"Your Honor!" protested the attorney. "This is a blatant attempt –"

"Shut up!" snapped the judge. "I want to hear it from Rhea herself."

Rhea took a deep breath and made her way to the front of the courtroom. Her hands were shaking as she faced the jury.

"Go on, Rhea," whispered Alex.

"He took me from my school," said Rhea. "He picked me up. I didn't want to go, but my French teacher said I had to, and he carried me out of there. There wasn't anything I could do."

She shot a nervous glance at Olivia, who gave her an encouraging nod.

Rhea continued her tale of horrors. "He brought me to the karate school. He'd built this – this _dungeon_. He forced me down there." She started shaking again but hurried on. "He didn't give me anything to eat or drink. He came down between classes. He hit me. He raped me. Over and over. He told me he was going to kill me. He said I'd never see Benjamin or Olivia or Alex ever again, that he would hurt them, kill them all for helping me if I ever said a word. So I didn't. I didn't say a word. But now, I can't keep quiet anymore." She looked right at the judge. "If I keep quiet, he'll do it again. I thought I was safe, but I won't be safe until he's gone."

"Thank you, Rhea," said the judge, slightly chocked up. "You can go sit back down, okay?"

Rhea nodded and ran toward Olivia, who hugged her and lifted her into her arms. "Let's go sit outside," she whispered.

Rhea nodded and Olivia carried her out into the hallway. They sat down, not speaking, but taking comfort in each other's presence. Olivia was just so glad that Rhea was talking again and Rhea was just so glad to be with Olivia.

When the jurors returned a guilty verdict, the whole courtroom let out a collective sigh. It was over for good now. No one could hurt Rhea now. She would be safe forever.


End file.
